Merchants Trail Hiking Tour in Zagori

The history of Zagori is relatively new if we compare it to the entire history of Greece! The villages where built in the Byzantine Empire years, around 10-11 century A.C.

The first people to live in this area were shepherds. Later, with the invasion of the Ottomans, the people of this area managed to negotiate a special treaty, which gave them  special privileges so they could survive.

Then around the 16th century, a lot of people from around Greece started to move to this area, seeking a better quality of life, but Zagori being a poor area could not feed so many people.

That is when Zagori began to thrive. People started travelling, became merchants, established a lot of good business abroad, and built schools, churches, bridges, stone trails and of course the famous large stone-built houses of Zagori.

Many educated people, teachers, painters, and benefactors, come from this area.

Now the villages rely mostly on tourism, as well as a bit of agriculture.